Best Places In The World To Retire

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Recently Answered Questions

What's the food like in the markets in San Miguel de Allende?

Alexandra del Villar

Fruit and vegetable stall in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There is always a lot of fresh food here in San Miguel de Allende. There is a lot of fruits, vegetables, and they’re not that expensive. It’s actually very cheap. You could buy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables here without spending too much money.

Buying food in Philadelphia, where I used to live, and buying food in San Miguel is completely different. I had a really had a hard time in Philly because I am born Mexican so I am used to...

Buying food in Philadelphia, where I used to live, and buying food in San Miguel is completely different. I had a really had a hard time in Philly because I am born Mexican so I am used to having a lot of fruits and a lot of vegetables all year round and for a very reasonable price. When I went to Philly, I had to look for a farmer’s market, which was about an hour away from my house and it was very expensive. The fruits and vegetables that they sell were not as fresh, and not as sweet. They were totally different. In Mexico, some of our fruits and vegetables are also seasonal but we have the basic fruits and vegetables that you could find year round.

In San Miguel, we have both supermarket chains and farmer’s markets. We do have a couple of chains but the government does not let them come in very much because they don’t want to lose the sustainability of the locals. So we have three supermarket chains and everything else is very local. We have markets, some of which are outdoors and some of which are in an enclosed space. People in San Miguel like to support the locals more than the big chains. You can go to the markets every day if you like but if you are busy or if you’re working, you can go once a week, get what you need, and cook it at home.

The markets in San Miguel are much cheaper than in Philadelphia, where I used to live. The markets also have all the basic foods that Mexicans eat. With regard to the quality of meat, you will find a wide variety. You will find processed meat like in the States. You could also find organic meat, which you could definitely find easier here. Meat here in San Miguel won’t be as expensive as it is in the US because meat and chicken are being bred in places that are very close to San Miguel.

I researched a lot for the meat that I buy for my restaurant. The butcher shops have grass-fed chicken and grass-fed beef. That is the only place where I buy my filet mignon and it is excellent; top notch. The same goes for the chicken meat. For me, the filet mignon that you would get here in San Miguel is better than the meat that you will get in the supermarkets in the US. You would expect that the filet mignon here is really expensive but it’s not. It is substantially less than in the US. The meat here has very good quality and it is very affordable for most of the population of San Miguel.

(Fruit and vegetable stall in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

Is the electricity reliable in Granada, Nicaragua? Are there blackouts or brownouts in Granada, Nicaragua?

Carlos Roman Gutierrez Solis - Casa Granada Properties

Electricity in Granada is reliable now compared to how it was six or seven years ago. We no longer experience a lot of blackouts except if it is raining or if there is lightning. Most of the time, the electric supply is really good. It has been so good recently that I do not even remember when the last blackout happened anymore.

What's the language most often spoken in Bocas Del Toro, Panama? Can I get by if I just speak English?

Evelyne Meyer - Habla Ya Spanish Schools

YES if you speak English you can definitively get by, since Bocas del Toro is a popular tourist destination and has lots of expats. Most locals have adapted to tourism, and speak at least a little bit of English, and it is also taught in school.

The main language that is spoken is of course Spanish. You will also find the Caribbean dialect Wari Wari, spoken by a mix of descendants from Jamaican and French Antilles, and which sounds like a mix between English, Ngobe...

Where are the best vets in Belize?

Chris Leonard - Paradise Found Belize Real Estate and Development

four dogs on a beach – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There are veterinarians in Corozal and other areas in Belize.

You can buy general items that you need for your pet like flea and tick medicines at the markets and just give it to your dog yourself. Obviously being down there in Belize and being in a Third World country, these types of things are really important. You want to make sure that your dog is getting its shots and keeping up with heartworm vaccinations.

I...

What is the history of Portugal?

Juan Matias - BLUE Boutique Hostel & SUITES

Duke of Vise, Henry the Navigator of Portugal considered the patron of exploration – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The history of Portugal is a very broad question, so I will address it just in summary form.

500 years ago, Portugal owned half of the world and 500 years later we are just a little small humble country of Europe, which can tell you quite a bit. We were, 500 years ago, a very important country, responsible for controlling half of the goods produced of half of the world. Spain had the other half. And then came the Dutch, the English; the explorers, and they took over some...

What do I need to know about living overseas and retiring abroad?

Robert Adams - Retirement Wave

The most important things to know when living or retiring overseas is that you have to be adaptable and flexible. It’s the same for everybody. You will be in a new and very nice environment. In many respects, it might be warmer and you might be outside more often. But there are things that will be different and aren’t done quite the same way as it did back in your country, so you just have to adapt.

If you’re inflexible, if you have to have things...

Recently Posted Expat Stories

The Birth of a Classic: The First Flash Mob Line Dance In San Ignacio, Belize

First line dancing lesson, San Ignacio, Belize – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

So how did this all start?

So there we were. Bored, in the jungle, and getting jungle fever. We were looking to socialize over beers, snacks, and music, all while working out and having fun. The solution (according to our teacher, who came from the UK) was obvious: line dancing.

First, we needed a venue, which turned out to be this open air restaurant / bar in the center of town called Hode’s place. Perfect!!

...

How Former Texan Jackie Lange Found Her Paradise in Boquete and Unintentionally Started a Business, All at the Same Time

As told to Best Places:

Hi, I’m Jackie Lange. I have lived in Boquete, Panama for almost 6 years now. I moved after deciding I was just sick and tired of the heat in Texas. One summer we had 90 days straight of 100˚ weather. I lived on a private 500 acre lake. It was too hot to get out on my boat, so it was just too hot to stay in Texas.

I spent two years exploring about ten countries other than Panama, including Mexico, Belize, Uruguay,...

The Road

Good roads leave no traces in the memory – smooth, seamless, without jarring bumps or sudden twists, they are the silent asphalt arteries that carry us from one place to another as we go about our daily lives, never calling attention to themselves. Not so with bad roads. A bad road, like a bad marriage, feels endless, terminal, and impossible to escape, even years later.

I have seen many bad roads around the world. Some in Central America are...